1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a printing apparatus and, more specifically to a printing apparatus having an ejecting device for allowing printed paper sheets to be removed easily from the printer and paper feeding device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Printing apparatuses in which a paper sheet is wrapped about a rotatable platen and a color images printed thereon by a thermal head through a ribbon are well known. In such printers, a paper feeding device is provided at the lower side of the printer while a paper ejecting device is provided above the printer. The paper feeding device includes a plurality of feeding rollers and a driving motor therefor. A feeding tray is disposed beneath the paper feeding device for storing a stack of printing paper sheets. Within the feeding tray, a paper receiving plate is arranged. In addition, a coil spring is disposed between the paper receiving plate and the bottom of the feeding tray. The uppermost paper sheet of the stack of paper sheets placed on the paper receiving plate is urged against the periphery of the feeding roller by the coil spring under a predetermined force. By depressing a print start-button, the feeding rollers are rotated, thereby automatically feeding one printing paper sheet toward a printing station at which a platen, a thermal head, and an ink ribbon are provided. The paper sheet is then wrapped about the peripheral surface platen according to the rotation thereof. The thermal head acts on a printing surface of the paper sheet through the ink ribbon to print various image patterns on the paper sheet. After printing, the printed paper sheet is propelled toward the ejecting device through an ejecting path. The ejecting device includes a plurality of ejecting rollers which carry the printed paper sheet to a receiving tray located above the feeding tray.
The aforesaid conventional type printer however has the following disadvantages. First, since the receiving tray is positioned relatively rearwardly in the printer, removal of the printed paper sheet fed by the ejecting device onto the receiving tray is inconvenient.
Another problem encountered in printing with the above conventional type printer is that a striped image pattern tends to occur due to shocks transmitted to the printing head or platen. These shocks occur when the trailing edge of the sheet being fed passes under the feed roller and the stack of sheets is urged upwardly against the feed roller.